ArenaNet implemented a sizable Guild Wars 2 patch this morning shoring up a few balance tweaks for the fantasy MMO's eight professions. The developer also took to the forums in a post sharing its moderate stance on gauging ability changes and nerfs/buffs. Check out the full patch notes and an excerpt from the post below.

General

The Mistfire Wolf skill will now properly unlock for existing characters on an account after upgrading to Digital Deluxe.

Fixed blocked events and skill challenges.

Fixed bugs that allowed players to go around map edges.

A number of items created by using Mystic Coins are now correctly set to level 80.

Guild Wars 2 Designer Jon Peters talked about the multitudes of forum threads debating "how this or that profession is either overpowered, underpowered, or both." He said although ArenaNet released frequent balance patches in the past, the post-launch plan involves slower, more calculated updates and "making sure we let the basic meta-game stabilize before making too many changes."

"If you see something that is really strong please try and find counters to it before assuming it is overpowered," Peters requested. "We've put a lot of hours into the game already, and there are still many things we're learning about the depth of the combat and the balance. There are also finally enough players consistently playing that we can actually gather metrics on skills and make some more informed decisions about what is too weak/strong."

This viewpoint certainly aligns with ArenaNet's tendency to buck MMO trends with scaling endgame content and an inclusive questing system promoting impromptu group play. Of course, the popularity of its elaborate PVP system represents a constant variable for ArenaNet's balancing considerations, and it looks like the eternal tug war between PVE and PVP adjustments other MMOs tangle with appears in Guild Wars 2 as well.